Transaction cards, such as credit and debit cards, have become a primary means for individuals to complete transactions involving data exchange. Traditional transaction cards are constructed in a sheeted laminate press. The shape of the card is die cut, and then, the card is personalized. Typically, transaction cards are cut from laminated sheets of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polycarbonate (PC), or other similar materials. After the overall shape of the card is formed, the card may be modified to add functional and/or visible features. For example, a magnetic stripe and/or microchip may be affixed to one side, the card may be stamped with the card number and customer name, and color(s) or a design may be added for appearance.
As a fraud prevention measure, such cards may be provided with a signature specimen, such that a vendor relying on the card for some aspect of a transaction, can authenticate that the person presenting the card is the actual authorized user of the card based on a comparison of a fresh signature provided at presentation with a signature specimen available on the card. Traditional signature specimens are placed on the card by the card user when the card user initially receives the card. Such timing, however, can allow an illicit recipient to place a fraudulent signature specimen on the card, for fraudulent presentment later. Receiving a signature specimen from a card user prior to issuance of the card, and forming an image of the signature on the card prior to delivery to the card user, may preclude an illicit recipient from being able to create a fraudulent signature specimen.
Traditional card manufacturing methods continue to utilize techniques and materials that restrict variations in card style and appearance. One limitation of traditional transaction cards involves the quality of both printed and stored visible information, such as the customer's signature, name, or the like. For example, current techniques that place a signature specimen on a card by a card fabricator provide poor quality because these techniques utilize digitized image formats (also referred to as bitmaps), raster files, or flat image files (e.g., Portable Network Graphics (PNG) or Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) formats). Digitized image formats, raster files, and flat files form an image by using a representative matrix of black and/or white dots (or colored dots in a color image), where each dot at a specific position within the matrix is black, white, or a color, dependent on the image. Such matrices allow for image representation at high resolutions, to avoid visible “blockiness.” However, higher resolutions increase data and processing requirements, and may be beyond the capabilities of image fixing processes, such as matrix printing or forming processes. Furthermore, some forming methods do not utilize a matrixed-image-generation process, but rather a continuous-element process, which utilizes continuous motion of a generating tool, such as an laser machining system, where the use of a bitmap or flat image would require conversion to vectored motion instructions for the image generating tool. Thus, these flat image formats do not maximize the ability of a laser machining system (i.e., laser machine) to etch higher resolution images. When flat image formats are used, laser machining systems approximate the boundaries of an image, which often leads to etching lower quality images due to problems, such as aliasing problems. This approximation leads to lower quality images with more blur, less smooth motions, more pixelation, less sharpness, less fidelity, etc. Furthermore, lower image quality of a signature specimen can also decrease fraud prevention and security protections due to the signature specimen having a lower comparability to an actual signature.
In addition, as transaction cards increase in prevalence, consumer expectations for transaction card quality have increased. Transaction cards have increasingly been made to meet higher standards regarding materials, durability, security, and appearance. Decreased image quality negatively impacts the ability for transaction card manufacturers to meet these higher standards.
The present disclosure is directed to improvements in transaction cards. Specifically, the present disclosure is directed to increasing the fidelity of visible information on transaction cards by employing a visible information engine.